Cost of Living Comparison Between Winterthur and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Winterthur and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,133 in Winterthur versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,195 in Winterthur versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,258 in Winterthur versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Winterthur is roughly 87% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Winterthur 208% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$39.25 CHF 30.94

$15.91 €13.69

146.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$128 CHF 101

$64.8 €55.7

97.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.09 CHF 15.84

$10.51 €9.04

91.15%

Cappuccino

$6.63 CHF 5.23

$2.87 €2.47

131.01%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 CHF 3.92

$2.24 €1.93

121.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 CHF 3.54

$1.50 €1.29

199.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.86 CHF 6.99

$3.49 €3.00

153.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 CHF 4.73

$3.88 €3.34

54.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.72

$1.14 €0.98

92.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 CHF 3.50

$1.75 €1.51

153.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 3.86

$1.76 €1.51

178.41%

Eggs

$7.73 CHF 6.09

$3.22 €2.77

140.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.92 CHF 24.38

$13.49 €11.61

129.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.95 CHF 25.98

$7.91 €6.81

316.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$47.02 CHF 37.07

$15.87 €13.65

196.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 CHF 2.58

$2.31 €1.99

41.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CHF 1.69

$1.70 €1.46

26.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 CHF 2.37

$2.01 €1.73

49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.76 CHF 6.12

$2.46 €2.12

215.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CHF 1.92

$1.84 €1.59

32.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.79

$2.00 €1.72

13.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CHF 2.04

$1.93 €1.66

34.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 CHF 0.82

$0.79 €0.68

31.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.36 CHF 8.96

$6.61 €5.68

71.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 CHF 12.05

$5.72 €4.92

167.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 CHF 1.62

$1.37 €1.17

50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 CHF 2.70

$2.97 €2.56

15.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 CHF 3.17

$2.37 €2.04

69.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$125 CHF 98.8

$45.56 €39.19

175.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 CHF 6.99

$4.29 €3.69

106.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.96 CHF 3.91

$0.82 €0.70

504.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.8 CHF 68.4

$18.30 €15.74

374.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.75

$2.06 €1.78

7.77%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$41.1K CHF 32.4K

$34.3K €29.5K

19.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$46.5K CHF 36.6K

$39.3K €33.8K

18.30%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$254 CHF 200

$148 €127

71.71%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$66.8 CHF 52.7

$20.52 €17.65

225.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 CHF 46.22

$39.61 €34.08

48.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 CHF 91.8

$47.85 €41.16

143.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.72 CHF 34.47

$18.92 €16.28

131.08%

Cinema Ticket

$28.13 CHF 22.18

$9.18 €7.90

206.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,685 CHF 2,117

$614 €528

337.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CHF 16.7K

$16.0K €13.8K

31.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$215 CHF 169

$105 €90.0

105.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$142 CHF 112

$42.06 €36.18

237.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$225 CHF 177

$94.0 €80.8

139.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$436 CHF 343

$120 €103

264.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,217 CHF 1,748

$1,628 €1,400

36.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 CHF 1,343

$1,255 €1,080

35.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,471 CHF 2,737

$3,030 €2,607

14.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,633 CHF 2,076

$2,020 €1,738

30.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$24.2K CHF 19.1K

$7,800 €6,709

209.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.1K

$4,273 €3,675

318.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,668 CHF 5,257

$1,603 €1,379

315.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

3.81

-34.38%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Winterthur: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,217 in Winterthur and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winterthur pays 316% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $128 in Winterthur vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $678 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Winterthur vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winterthur and Lisbon differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($4,133 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Winterthur pays 316% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,217 in Winterthur versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,685 in Winterthur versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 152% higher in Winterthur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Winterthur and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Winterthur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.